Powers named UF Teacher-Scholar of the Year

Scott K. Powers, a distinguished professor in the department of applied physiology and kinesiology in the College of Health and Human Performance, has been named the University of Florida’s Teacher-Scholar of the Year for 2016-2017.

Originating in 1960, it is the UF’s most prestigious and oldest faculty award. It offers an honorarium of $6,000 in addition to other appropriate recognition. In making the award, the Award Committee selects a faculty member who demonstrates distinguished achievement in both teaching and scholarly activity demonstrated through scholarly research, creative writing, original works of art, etc., and visibility within and beyond the university.

Powers is a physiologist who specializes in investigating the effects of muscular exercise and inactivity on both cardiac and skeletal muscle. Specifically, Powers’ research has focused upon exercise mediated changes in cardiac and skeletal muscle antioxidant systems and the role that these changes play in providing protection against ischemia-reperfusion injury. The current focus of the Powers’ laboratory is to investigate the mechanisms responsible for respiratory muscle weakness in patients subjected to prolonged periods of mechanical ventilation. Powers’ laboratory research has been funded by extramural grants from the National Institutes of Health, Florida Biomedical Research Program, American Heart Association-Florida, and American Lung Association-Florida.

In addition to conducting research, Powers is an enthusiastic teacher, having earned three University of Florida teaching awards. Moreover, he has co-authored four textbooks that are used in college exercise physiology courses.

In addition to teaching awards, Powers has received several academic honors including being elected President of the Southeastern chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine (1986) and Vice-President of the American College of Sports Medicine (1997-99). Furthermore, Powers was selected as the Southeastern American College of Sports Medicine Scholar in 1995 and he has earned a Career Enhancement Award from the American Physiological Society. He has served on grant review study sections for the National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association-Florida, and NASA. Powers also serves on numerous editorial boards for scholarly journals and is currently a senior editor for the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Comparative, and Integrative Physiology.

Also, Powers was recently selected to receive the “Honor” award from the Exercise and Environmental Physiology section of the American Physiological Society. This is the highest award provided by this section of the American Physiological Society and recognizes an investigator that has made significant contributions to the scientific advancement of environmental, exercise, thermal, or applied physiology.

Winners recognized

Dr. Powers and the winners of the University Level Undergraduate Teacher of the Year, Undergraduate Faculty/Mentor of the Year and Professional Advisor of the Year Awards were recognized along with the College level winners of those categories, at a reception hosted by President Fuchs on April 6, 2017.

Ted Spiker, Undergraduate Teacher of the Year, Department of Journalism, College of Journalism and Communications

Monika Oli, Faculty Advisor/Mentor of the Year, Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

Virginia Leigh Smadbeck, Professional Advisor of the Year, Heavener School of Business, Warrington College of Business